Battle of Dingle's Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Dingle's Mill |
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| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States (Union) |
 Confederate States |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Edward E. Potter | Pierce M. B. Young | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| brigades | 20th SC Militia Regt & local volunteers | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 2700 | 158 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 4 killed 20 wounded |
6 killed 7 wounded 2 captured |
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The Battle of Dingle's Mill was a small but important fight during the American Civil War. It happened on April 9, 1865, near Sumterville, in Sumter County, South Carolina. This battle took place on the very same day that the main Confederate army surrendered far away at Appomattox.
Contents
Why This Battle Happened
General Quincy Adams Gillmore gave an important order. He wanted a special group of soldiers, called a provisional division, to be formed. This group was led by Brigadier General Edward E. Potter.
Potter's Mission
General Potter's job was to destroy the railroads in the area. These railroads connected the towns of Florence, Sumter, and Camden. Destroying them would make it hard for the Confederate army to move supplies and troops. General William Tecumseh Sherman said that destroying these railroads was so important, it was worth losing many soldiers.
Potter's Raiders
General Potter took command of his division on April 1, 1865. This happened in Georgetown. His group had about 2,700 soldiers. They were made up of two main groups of infantry (foot soldiers) and other support troops.
First Brigade
The First Brigade was led by Colonel Philip P. Brown. He was the commander of the 157th New York Regiment. This brigade included:
- 157th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment (with some soldiers from the 56th New York)
- 25th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry
- 107th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Second Brigade
The Second Brigade was led by Colonel Edward Needles Hallowell. He commanded the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. This brigade included:
- 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
- 32nd Regiment United States Colored Troops
- 102nd Regiment United States Colored Troops
Support Troops
Besides these infantry groups, there were also smaller teams. These included soldiers from the 1st New York Engineers and the 4th Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry. They also had two cannons from Battery B of the 3rd New York Artillery.
The Battle Begins
The Battle of Dingle's Mill took place on Easter Day, April 9, 1865. It was about 3 miles (5 km) south of Sumter.
Union Advance
Around three in the morning, General Potter's army, known as Potter's Raiders, arrived. They came from the direction of Kingstree. Colonel Hallowell's troops joined them. They had crossed the Pocotaligo River and moved past Colonel Presley's men. This placed them north of the pond at Dingle's Mill.
Confederate Defense
Confederate soldiers, who were local militiamen, were led by Colonel James Fowler Pressley. They had quickly built small dirt walls, called breastworks, for protection. They waited for the Union forces to arrive. They had two cannons that could be used. Lieutenant William Alexander McQueen commanded one. The other was commanded by Lieutenant Pamerya, an artilleryman from New Orleans. A third cannon was too rusty to fire.
The Fight
General Potter ordered Colonel Hallowell to attack from the left side and from behind the Confederate lines. The 54th Massachusetts Regiment was part of this attack. However, they could not reach the Confederate position. So, the United States Colored Troops marched back to where Colonel Brown's First Brigade was. This brigade was on the main road.
A Confederate soldier later remembered hearing church bells ringing for afternoon service as the battle started. Hallowell's brigade reached their comrades a little after two in the afternoon.
During the fighting, Lieutenant McQueen was hit in the shoulder and could not continue. Lieutenant Pamerya was killed by a bullet to his forehead. The Confederate forces were greatly outnumbered. They had to fall back towards Sumterville. They tried to make one more stand. But by about six in the evening, they left the battlefield, and the fighting ended.
What Happened Next
At the same time this battle was ending, General Robert E. Lee was meeting with General Ulysses S. Grant. This meeting was happening at Appomattox Courthouse, about 300 miles (480 km) away. There, General Lee surrendered his main Confederate army.
After the Battle of Dingle's Mill, the Confederate soldiers went home.
Losses
- The Southern (Confederate) forces had 6 soldiers killed, 7 wounded, and 2 captured.
- The Northern (Union) forces had 4 soldiers killed and 23 wounded.
